Guild Wars 2

20/15/10/0/25
Rune of the Wurm
PvP Berserker’s Amulet
+10 Power on kills

Why is this build awesome? Out of all the current necro builds that ‘work’, I’ve found that this little used hybrid spec packs quite a punch while allowing yourself to live for quite a long time as well.

First off, the build is ‘viable’. I’ve seen too many people insist that condition necromancers are the only ‘viable’ way to play this class to work in sPvP. I simply think they are trying hard enough to go out of the box and play a different style that doesn’t kill as fast as Conditions. While I am unsure of how ‘viable’ this is at top end tournament play, I have done well enough in several of them and usually can out live most people under non sub optimal conditions.

Which Traits do I run?

Spite: Reaper’s Might, Spiteful Marks
Curses: Hemophelia/Terror (either work fine)
Death Magic: Staff Mastery
Soul Reaping: Unyielding Blast, Soul Marks

Abilties: Consume Conditions, Signet of Undeath, Spectral Wall, Spectral Armor, Lich

How to play?

Use your staves as you normally would, try to combo your Chillblains and Putrid Mark as much as you can, but your main objective while using staves is to generate that sweet, sweet life force.

When do you use Death Shroud?
Use it to fear, interrupt people finishing your downed teammates, etc. Also for that delicious bursty Life Transfer. But how does Death Shroud work with this build? The fun part of this build is connected to the frenzy built into entering DS and the Might/Target Vulnerability associated with Life Blast. Pretty much, you always want to get several Mights stacked up on you before Life Transfering, your damage will drastically increase here while you are in Death Shroud. But this only covers the offensive aspect of Death Shroud, for this ability can also be used to generate a secondary health pool while waiting for heals to return from cooldown.

If you find yourself getting focused, try to slow with Chillblains and Fear with your staff, Pop your spectral wall and armor and kite around, then eventually heal if you get low enough. Once you heal, go into death shroud. You can buy a lot of time for your abilities to come back from CD while in Death Shroud.

When to use lich?
I will typically use this when I am first arriving at a point under assault, and as early in the game as possible as to get it on CD so that it can be used again. Summon your mass bone fiends, do your aoe vulnerability then spam that lich nuke, spam it till your finger falls off cause auto cast is broken. Either way, you should be able to kill some people dead pretty fast.

Why Lich over Plague?

Because you are a huge lich, and with Wurm gear combined with Berserker’s amulet, you can spam crit your main casted ability anywhere from 3.5k-6k, depending on how much vulnerability and toughness the enemy has.

But WHYYYY this build over Conditions!?!?

Because I am having FUN with it.

Problems with this build?

Guardians, or other Tanky/sustain classes. Warriors are still a pain, but they were always a pain, atleast now you can kite them around

Mesmers and Thieves do not present any real problem with this build, you can survive their burst quite easily if you conform to the play style well enough.

Elementalists, lol they still ez.

Necromancers? lol purge conditions then own them in the face when your death shroud is more effective then theirs

Good written guide, but a few pointers, I see that DS has perks. But what’s the main point behind it? Aggressive/conditions/tank? And also inquiring about tourney play, are u holding nodes/roaming/ offensive node holding?
Never doubt an ele since you say there easy, you probably haven’t faced a good one.
And when fighting another necro. Purging doesn’t win fights , if the other necro is smart he’s going to instantly stop your life transfer, plus sorb you r ds damage with his.

No weapon swap? A dagger in the off hand plus good timing to see you heal is on cool downs can get said stacks of vulnerability applied to you, if his weapon swap has a focus, there goes might stacks, and fury/ protection.

So what the looks. Of it this is a DS centric build??, try traiting more power/crit/ life force. I would trait less draining of life force/cd/ and stability

Just my opinion I do like it though, but next time go more in depth of weapons.

Tony.2150:

Good written guide, but a few pointers, I see that DS has perks. But what’s the main point behind it? Aggressive/conditions/tank? And also inquiring about tourney play, are u holding nodes/roaming/ offensive node holding?
Never doubt an ele since you say there easy, you probably haven’t faced a good one.
And when fighting another necro. Purging doesn’t win fights , if the other necro is smart he’s going to instantly stop your life transfer, plus sorb you r ds damage with his.

No weapon swap? A dagger in the off hand plus good timing to see you heal is on cool downs can get said stacks of vulnerability applied to you, if his weapon swap has a focus, there goes might stacks, and fury/ protection.

So what the looks. Of it this is a DS centric build??, try traiting more power/crit/ life force. I would trait less draining of life force/cd/ and stability

Just my opinion I do like it though, but next time go more in depth of weapons.

Weapon swaps will be scepter/warhorn.

Use the warhorn to roam between points faster.

Generally you don’t want to fight 1v1, you can, its just not optimal for a build where you cannot burn targets down fast, you are better off with teammates around you, especially when you can chain fear them off downed teammates and such.

As to the last part, it is traited for power crit and life force. I don’t get where the life drain and stability stuff is coming from in your comment, there is none.